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Anti-jobs FG reveals cynical and misinformed approach to new plan - Kelleher
Tue 28 Sep 2010 06:15 pm filed by the Editor - Ireland
The Minister for Trade and Commerce, Billy Kelleher TD, has accused Fine Gael of adopting ‘an anti-jobs approach to the economy’ and described the party’s remarks today [Tuesday] about the Government’s plan for trade, tourism and investment as ‘cynical and misinformed’.
‘To clarify for Richard Bruton, the plan aims to create more than 150,000 direct new jobs in manufacturing, tourism and internationally traded services up to 2015.
‘Over the period, IDA Ireland is targeting 75,000 new jobs by attracting an extra 780 foreign direct investment projects.
‘Enterprise Ireland is targeting 60,000 jobs between now and 2015.
‘In addition, Tourism Ireland envisages the creation of 15,000 new jobs.
‘We expect to generate at least one spin-off job for every direct job created, bringing the total number of jobs over the lifetime of the plan to 300,000,’ said Minister Kelleher.
The basis for the calculation of this jobs figure comes from the Government’s economic advisory agency, Forfás, which used a common multiplier of one to one.
‘The Government has asked IDA Ireland to focus, in particular, on new sectors including clean-tech, convergence and services innovation.
‘A special IDA Ireland team is focussing on new high-growth markets - the seeds of tomorrow’s multinationals - and firms employing fewer than 200 workers worldwide with a turnover of less than €20 million,’ said Minister Kelleher.
Minister Kelleher said Fine Gael’s criticism of the plan would do nothing to advance Ireland’s economic recovery.
‘In recent days, Fine Gael has shown a grossly misplaced sense of national priority by attempting to block a Government trade mission.
‘The party has revealed an anti-jobs and anti-investment approach to the economy which is regrettable in the context of collective efforts to return to growth,’ said Minister Kelleher.